5 Benefits of Meditation

Are you aware of these 5 benefits of meditation? Learn more about why you should add meditation to your daily routine today!

Published: 9/26/19

5 Benefits of Meditation and Why You Should Add it to Your Daily Routine Today

There is a saying, “The mind is a powerful thing.” You’ve heard it, right? It is a saying that illustrates how what you think about a situation is likely to be the outcome. Positive thinking is likely to lead to positive results. Your mind is powerful, and it is vital to tap into your thoughts to impact how you go about your days. One way of becoming more familiar with your mind is meditation. Practicing meditation is one of the best ways to check in with yourself, and we think it is a great practice to do every single morning. Here are 5 benefits of meditation that you can enjoy.

1 | Become Self-Aware.

With all of our commitments and goals we want to achieve, it is difficult even to take a second to ask yourself, “How am I doing?” A Harvard study found that our minds are wandering almost 50% of the time. Read that again! 50% of the time we are not checked in, not engaged, just wandering. Your mind might be wandering right now thinking about when you need to cook dinner or change the laundry. Meditation makes it so that, in daily practice, you are checking in with yourself and being mindful. You are in the present moment. Though your mind will still wander—and that’s okay—you are actively taking advantage of the moments ahead of you. You begin to recognize thought patterns, habits, and your unique personality. Meditation can help to encourage mindfulness.

2 | Reduce Stress.

As a society, we are s-t-r-e-s-s-e-d out. We have so many tasks to juggle and goals to reach that it feels almost impossible. Many people try meditation techniques for this reason—stress reduction. Studies have shown that the stress hormone, cortisol, actually gets lower for those who meditate regularly and suggest that meditation could be used in combination with standard treatments to reduce stress. That’s one of the reasons why self-care is so important. So, grab an app like Headspace, and try a 3-5 minute meditation. See if you feel a little better when those few minutes are up!

3 | Better Sleep.

A few hours of missed sleep can do a lot to hurt your body and mind. Quality sleep is essential for better physical and mental health. Bedtime can be hard for those of us who suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Our body is winding down, and our minds have nothing to do but think, and—sometimes—overthink. Meditating helps to allow us to rest, calm the nervous system, and encourage deep breathing. You can find guided sleep meditation online for free. According to the National Sleep Foundation, meditation is a safe, medication-free way to treat insomnia and states that meditation has been shown to help reduce the use of sleeping pills in people who practice.

4 | Take Your Meditation Anywhere.

There are few things we love more than habits that you can take with you everywhere. Just like bodyweight workouts when you are on the go, meditation is something you can practice on the plane, at your desk, on your travels, and in your living room. Just find a practice that you like, and take a few minutes to finish it every day.

5 | Increase Focus.

It’s 8 am, and you begin to check your email at work. A few minutes later, you pick up your phone to check a text message, which leads you on an Instagram scroll, and down the rabbit hole of lost attention. How do you combat that? Meditation. Improvements come fast when it comes to focus. One study found that participants who practiced daily meditation showed improved attention in just four days! That’s crazy fast for such a huge benefit. This is a great video on multitasking, focus, and meditation. Meditation helps with focus because we remind ourselves, during meditation, to come back to the breath. When we parlay that into our daily lives, we can then train our brain to focus on the task we want to accomplish instead and strengthen our focus.

There are several physical and mental health benefits of meditation. It is a great practice to add to your daily routine. Try downloading an app like Calm or Headspace. For your self-care routine, begin to wake up 10 minutes earlier each day this week. For 7 days, give it a shot! If you start to see these benefits of meditating and more start to come to the surface in your life, you may be convinced to keep this as a daily routine! All of our locations offer the space you need for meditation; whether you prefer to practice during a HydroMassage, yoga, or just on a yoga mat—we’ve got ya covered! Come on into a Chuze Fitness near you and focus on your self-care. We cannot wait to get to know you.

*We are not licensed therapists. You should not rely on this information to substitute or replace medical advice or treatment. Always consult a health care professional if you have any questions about your physical or emotional health.